nme with the trio

With Trio preparing to bring their Midnight Hour tour back to the United States, Jason Blackstone is already thinking about what comes next. The band have spent much of the year travelling, playing to increasingly large audiences, and developing a sound that blends alternative rock with Americana and folk influences.

But after the American dates, the three-piece have something rather different planned: a break from touring, some time away from the road, and the beginning of work on a collection of demos for their next album.

We caught up with Jason backstage to discuss the American shows, the band's latest record, and why Trio are looking forward to getting back into a room together without an audience waiting outside.

NME: You're about to bring the Midnight Hour tour back to America. How are you feeling about returning?

Jason: Really excited, actually. America is obviously a big part of our history. It's where we started playing shows together, where we built a lot of our early audience, and where some of our favourite memories are from.

We've been away for quite a while, so there's something nice about coming back and playing these songs to people who have been waiting for us. We've also got a few places on the itinerary that we haven't played in years.

I think we're approaching these shows with a lot more confidence than we did when we first started touring the album. We've played these songs in Europe, we've taken them to different countries, and we've had time to figure out what works live.

NME: Has the live show changed much since the beginning of the tour?

Jason: Massively. When we first started, we were still figuring out how to translate the album into a live setting. There are a lot of different textures on Midnight Hour. We had acoustic guitars, electric guitars, piano, some of the more atmospheric stuff, and we didn't want to lose that.

Now we've got a much bigger production. The runway and the B-stage have been great additions. It gives us the opportunity to get away from the main stage and play something in a completely different environment.

I think the B-stage has probably become one of my favourite parts of the show. There's something quite special about being surrounded by people and playing a song without all the usual production around you.

NME: You've recently been playing some of the new material on the B-stage, including Friday Night Lights. How did that song come about?

Jason: That one came from watching the television show, actually. I always liked the atmosphere of it. It's obviously about high school football, but it's really about the people and the town and how important those Friday nights become.

I grew up enjoying stories like that. There's something about those small communities where everybody knows everybody, where a football game can feel like the biggest event in the world.

We started playing it acoustically, and it just seemed to fit the B-stage. It's still very early, though. I wouldn't say it's finished. We might change half the song before it gets recorded.

NME: So fans shouldn't expect it on the next album just yet?

Jason: They can expect us to argue about it for six months. That's probably the safest prediction.

Looking back at Midnight Hour

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NME: Midnight Hour feels like a departure from some of the earlier Trio material. It has a much stronger Americana and folk influence. Was that intentional?

Jason: It happened quite naturally. A lot of the record started with acoustic guitars. I remember being in Madrid and writing some ideas in a hotel room. I wasn't really thinking about making an album at that point. I was just writing because I couldn't sleep.

Those ideas eventually became the starting point for the record. Scott and Dom came in, and we started building things around them.

We didn't want to make another version of Free Fall. That album was very much about where we were at the time. Midnight Hour came from a different place. We'd travelled more, we'd played more shows, we'd met more people, and I think we had a different perspective.

NME: Did working with Justin Tyler have an impact on the direction of the record?

Jason: Definitely. Justin has a really interesting way of approaching songs. He's got that American songwriting background, but he also understands alternative rock. When we were working together around the time he was making Rushville, we'd end up playing things together backstage or in the studio.

He brought a different energy into the room. We were already leaning towards that Americana sound, and spending time with him helped us explore it a bit further.

He's also a good friend, which makes the whole process easier. We can tell each other when something isn't working without anybody getting offended.

NME: The album also has some interesting individual moments. Crisis! is perhaps the most unusual example, with its comic-book reference.

Jason: That's Dominic. Absolutely Dominic.

NME: You're blaming him?

Jason: Completely. He came in with that idea, and we thought it was funny. We liked the idea of having something that sounded quite serious musically but had this slightly ridiculous reference sitting in the middle of it.

That's one of the things I like about the band. We can write something quite emotional and then Dom will come along and put something completely unexpected into it.

NME: And Carry Me On revisits material from Free Fall. Why bring that song back?

Jason: It felt unfinished in a way. We'd always liked the song, but the original version didn't quite become what we'd imagined. When we started working on Midnight Hour, we found a different way into it.

I like the idea that songs can change as you get older. You can revisit something you wrote years ago and hear it differently. It's not necessarily about improving the original. Sometimes you're just a different person when you play it again.

NME: Is Midnight Hour the album you're most proud of so far?

Jason: That's a difficult question. I'm proud of all of them for different reasons. Free Fall will always be important because it was our first proper statement as a band.

But Midnight Hour feels like the record where we really understood what Trio could sound like. We weren't trying to fit into a particular category. We were just following the songs.

I think that's a good place for a band to be.

The American shows – and then a break

NME: You've mentioned that the band will be taking a break after the American dates. Should fans be worried?

Jason: No, not at all. I think people hear the word break and immediately assume something terrible has happened.

We're not breaking up. We're not fighting. Scott hasn't thrown a bass at me. Dom hasn't disappeared with the drum kit.

We're just tired. We've been travelling for a long time, and I think we all want to spend a little time at home.

NME: Is this a proper break from music, then?

Jason: Not entirely. I think we'll always be writing something. The difference is that we won't have a tour schedule telling us where we need to be every morning.

We want to get together, go into a room, and start recording some demos for the next album. Nothing too serious initially. Just ideas, acoustic recordings, guitar parts, piano, whatever comes naturally.

We don't want to rush into making a record because we feel we have to follow one album with another. We want to see what happens when we're not under pressure.

NME: Have you already started writing?

Jason: A little bit. I've got a few ideas on my phone, Scott's been sending me things, and Dom has some arrangements he's been working on. But it's all very rough.

There's no album title, no tracklist, no release date. We haven't even decided what the record should sound like.

NME: Does that mean another change in direction?

Jason: Probably. I don't think we could make Midnight Hour again even if we wanted to. We've already done that.

I wouldn't want to predict what the next album will sound like. We might end up making something heavier. We might make something really stripped back. Maybe we'll get into keyboards more. Maybe we'll make a terrible electronic record and Scott will insist it's the future.

NME: Has Scott suggested that?

Jason: Not yet. But give him time.

What comes next for Trio?

NME: Are there any plans for another collaboration with Justin Tyler?

Jason: We'd love to work with Justin again. He's part of our story now. We had a great time working together on Skylines, and we've continued doing things together since then.

The version of Spiral we recorded with him in Austin was another one of those moments that just happened. We weren't planning some big collaboration. We were backstage, messing around with a song, and it turned into something we really liked.

If there's a song that makes sense for him to be involved with, I'm sure we'll call him.

NME: What about the possibility of another EP? The band have released quite a bit of material between albums.

Jason: I wouldn't rule it out. We've got plenty of things lying around. There are always songs that don't quite fit an album, and sometimes those songs deserve to be heard.

But right now, the priority is getting some demos together and seeing where they take us.

NME: Finally, what do you want people to take away from the American leg of the Midnight Hour tour?

Jason: I just want people to have a good time. We've put a lot into this show, and I think it's the best version of Trio we've had onstage.

We've got songs from all over our catalogue, we've got the new production, and we're enjoying playing together. That's the important thing.

And after that, we'll probably go home, sleep for about three weeks, and then start annoying each other in the studio again.

NME: So the next chapter is already beginning?

Jason: Yeah. I think so. We're not in any rush, but we're excited about it. There's still a lot we want to do.

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NME: The next chapter

Jason Blackstone sounds relaxed about the future of Trio. The American dates will mark the end of an extensive touring period for Midnight Hour, but they won't signal the end of the band's activity.

Instead, Trio appear ready to take a step back, spend some time together away from the demands of touring, and begin putting ideas down for their next record.

For now, the focus remains on the American shows. But with Friday Night Lights already receiving its first live performances and early demos beginning to take shape, the next chapter of Trio's story may be closer than fans think.

Jason's final thought: "We've spent so much time playing these songs to other people. It'll be nice to get back into a room and make some noise just for ourselves."